Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts

The Zilkha Gallery is part of Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts, a complex of iconic modern buildings designed by Kevin Roche-John Dinkeloo Associates in the 1960s and opened in 1973. Belmont Freeman Architects' commission was to upgrade all building systems and make the gallery more compatible to the display of contemporary art, while preserving the monumental character of the original architecture. The program of renovation included new lighting, HVAC, display rigging, movable partitions, window treatments, skylight replacement, life safety systems and new and restored interior finishes. The project was an exacting exercise in the special challenges of preserving a modern building. Recipient of AIA Connecticut (2004) and AIA New York State (2006) Design Awards.